Final Stand
by Dirgesworn
Summary: The world of Vana'diel is under siege by powerful monsters. What else can I say without spoiling the story? This fan fic is about the game, so it is portrade alot like .hack Please send reviews!
1. Default Chapter

Final Stand  
  
It all seemed so peaceful. The sun had disappeared under the veil of night,  
  
and the sea was a dazzling brilliance of blue. The world of Vana'diel was a marvel  
  
to behold. Players roamed freely, gaining experience, traveling to distant lands,  
  
fighting monsters, making gil, and just having a good time. But these days started  
  
to come to an end as the sky grew darker and darker with each passing day. The  
  
world of Vana'diel would never be the same.  
  
"Do you see that, Hitomo?" a Hume Warrior asked a Tarutaru White  
  
Mage.  
  
"I do, Drel." responded Hitomo, gazing up at the sky. "Something is just not  
  
right. The sky has never been this black, and it is well into the afternoon."  
  
Both players walked outside from the west gate of Southern San d'Oria.   
  
They walked down the trail, further into West Ronfaure. No sooner did they leave  
  
the safety of San d'Oria they heard a cry for help. Running to the where the noise  
  
was from, they stumbled upon a fleeing Mithra Black Mage. She looked at them  
  
and panicked.  
  
"You have to get outa here!" she cried. "You are too low leveled!"  
  
"But we are both at level thirty, why would we flee from here?"  
  
But she continued to run for San d'Oria. After she fled there were other  
  
cries for help further down the path. And like last time the two ran to find out  
  
what was going on. When they arrived, they found several player corpses. Hitomo  
  
started casting Raise on them while Drel looked around. Soon Drel vanished while  
  
Hitomo was still reviving most of the fallen players.  
  
Some of the dead players were between levels twenty to sixty. There were  
  
Mages of every kind, and a few Warriors and Monks. When they woke, they all  
  
said the same thing.  
  
"There is a monster in this region, we must get outa here before it comes  
  
back!"  
  
"Before what comes back." said Hitomo to a Mithra red mage.  
  
"There was a Shadow Dragon here not too long ago. It killed everyone in its  
  
path and the slain players can't go to their home point for some reason." responded  
  
the Red Mage.  
  
Then a shout came from Drel, even further down the path. The Red Mage  
  
and Hitomo ran to where Drel was, but he was found in the middle of the path. He  
  
had fallen. As Hitomo ran toward Drel to revive him, a giant black dragon jumped  
  
from the sky, in between Hitomo and Drel. It roared with intense fury, and the  
  
Mithra and Hitomo both cast Dia on it. The magical energies reflected of the  
  
Shadow Dragon, and it attacked the Red Mage. She was slain instantly by its  
  
charge, and it started to come for Hitomo. Hitomo grasped his staff hard, facing  
  
bravely against the beast. But as it drew closer, he couldn't help but stare in  
  
complete fear.  
  
But from the tree tops a voice rang out.  
  
"Stop beast!" it shouted.  
  
From the trees fell a player, heavily armored and wielded a Save the Queen  
  
long sword and an Espadon bastard sword at the same time. His armor was of the  
  
Iron Musketeer's class. He was an Elvaan Paladin Ninja. Diving from the trees he  
  
slashed at the Shadow Dragon. It stopped its charge and looked back at the  
  
attacker. They gave each other a stare of destructive hate.  
  
"Start reviving those players, mage." he said.  
  
Hitomo obeyed and ran for Drel. The dragon then attacked and the mystery  
  
player countered. After Hitomo revived everyone safely, he and Drel ran for the  
  
player. When they arrived the dragon had been slain, but the player was on the  
  
brink of death. Hitomo healed him with his healing magic. The Elvaan then began  
  
to walk away, but was stopped by Drel's voice.  
  
"What was that Shadow Dragon doing here? They do not belong here, they  
  
are only found in the Xarcabard area." he said.  
  
The Elvaan turned around. He gazed at Drel and Hitomo's curious faces.  
  
"It was no normal Shadow Dragon." he said. "It was a hacker's Shadow  
  
Dragon."  
  
"But hackers are nullified in Vana'diel." remarked Hitomo. "It would be  
  
impossible for a hacker to exist here."  
  
"But every system has a loop hole." continued the player. "The hacker who  
  
controlled this monster is a very powerful one. You will be hearing much more of  
  
his works."  
  
"But if a hacker can make a monster and send it here, beginners and noobs  
  
won't be able to progress." said Drel.  
  
"That is his idea." said the Elvaan. "He wants only powerful players to exist.   
  
He thinks of Vana'diel as more of a game then we make it to be. He enjoys the  
  
misery of other players, so he hacked into Vana'diel. But he has a weakness. That  
  
dragon was not created by him, but manipulated by him. And he has made it so  
  
that if a player falls to one of his monsters, they cannot go back to Home Point."  
  
"So he is like an advanced Beastmaster?" asked Hitomo.  
  
"That would be his Sub Job. But his true class is a Dark Paladin."  
  
"Figures." said Drel.  
  
"He also has the ability to fight other players, and other players can fight  
  
him." continued the player. "So even a hacker like him has his limitations."  
  
"Before you go, what is your name?" asked Hitomo.  
  
"My name is Darithal." said the player. "And the hackers name is Drium. If  
  
his plans come into effect, you may see more of me."  
  
And with that Darithal used Tonko: Ni to fade away into the shadows. With  
  
a hacker on the loose and powerful monsters all about, playing in Vana'diel may  
  
never be the same again.  
  
To be continued...  
  
(Please send me a review on this story. If the reviews are good I may continue this  
  
story with a shocking ending in mind. But you have to review this story!) 


	2. Chapter 2: Will of the Dark Knight

**Final Stand **

**Chapter 2: Will of the Dark Knight**

Within the stillness of the dark no one but a Dark Knight dwelled. Gazing into the twisting shadows, his thoughts were nothing but chaos and destruction. Though he was in complete darkness, it was not long before he knew that he was not alone.

"Greetings, Darithal." he sneered.

From the darkness the Elvaan Darithal appeared before the Dark Knight. His Save the Queen and Espadon were drawn and ready to taste blood. Even with this threat in his realm, the Dark Knight never once looked back at his intruder.

"Why must you do this Drium?" said Darithal. "There is nothing to accomplish here. Go back and ruin countless other games that you yourself have destroyed in the past. Leave Vana'diel alone!"

"Dear me, aren't we the angry one!" laughed Drium. "But seriously, why should I leave? MMORPGs have always been my favorite. So much destruction, carnage, and most importantly,  
fun."

"But then why attack players?" asked Darithal.

"When I saw that the ability to fight other players was not a factor in this game, I quickly grew bored." responded Drium. "And you know what happens when I get bored."

"You can't take Vana'diel!" shouted Darithal. "Too many players love this game. If you saw what I saw what you did in San'dOria-"

Drium then turned to Darithal.

"I saw what I did to San'dOria!" he barked. "I see everything my beasts see. I am the ultimate hacker, remember? And as for these players, that is exactly what I plan to do! As soon as I find it, I will make sure that once killed by my pets, no player may return to life, even with Revive!"

"You monster!" grunted Darithal.

"It is not so bad once you get used to it." chuckled Drium. "You know how. Why not use your skills to fight me. Remember? You taught me!"

"I turned from that." said Darithal, standing firm and ready to strike.

Drium sighed. Looking in Darithal's eyes Drium hatched a plan. A plan that would mean a twist in this little game of his.

"Tell you what, Darithal." said Drium. "I'll make a bet. I will create a fortress somewhere in Vana'diel and summon an army to combat the players of this game. Of coarse I will take off the 'no Home Point' thing. If I destroy all three capitols, then I win. If you can destroy my fortress and kill my player, then you win."

"What is the catch?" asked Darithal.

"If you win, I will leave this game forever." said Drium.

"And if you win?"

"Then I will personally hack you out of this game and I will create an empire where players can never leave their computer. Forever will the players be trapped within a nightmare of the game that they once loved and cherished!"

"What makes me think that you will keep this bet?" chuckled Darithal. "What makes me think you won't get bored?"

"Please, Darithal." laughed Drium. "You know me even outside the game. I never go back on bet, especially a bet that is so much fun!"

"True." said Darithal. "Then I wager this bet. For the sake of all players."

"Good." said Drium.

Drium once again turned his back on Darithal.

"Now leave. Leave me to my work."

Darithal then vanished from the Dark Knight's mists, and the silent darkness once again took over.

_A short chapter I know. And I am sorry it has been so long since I last updated (which was the first chapter). Though this was a short chapter, I hoped it explained a lot of the storyline and what is to come. Keep on reviewing, and be sure to reach some of my other stories._


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